He started young with his music, followed his passion into adulthood, and then finally hit the big time in the mainstream music scene. It sounds like the plot for some coming of age film, but it's very real for country singer and guitarist Eric Church. He says that he's proudest of the honesty and straighforwardness that he maintains in his music. Judging from the fans lining up on his Facebook page, that's exactly how they like it.

He started young with his music, followed his passion into adulthood, and then finally hit the big time in the mainstream music scene. It sounds like the plot for some coming of age film, but it's very real for country singer and guitarist Eric Church. He says that he's proudest of the honesty and straighforwardness that he maintains in his music. Judging from the fans lining up on his Facebook page, that's exactly how they like it.

Eric Church: Kid Country

Church is a rare case by himself. Born in 1977, he found his niche early on and had become a regular act at a local bar in his hometown of Granite Falls, North Carolina by his junior year in high school. One of today's most popular country music up-and-comers started out with a guitar he bought himself and a band composed of himself, his roommate, his brother and other guy they'd just happened to meet.

Within a year, Church's act had a considerable amount of original material in their sets, which they were already performing at parties and other bars in the nearby towns. After finishing school, he moved to country music hotbed Nashville, Tennessee. Thanks to the financial support of his father, he was able to quickly build new contacts in Music City.

It was in Nashville - a year after his big move - that he got his first break into the mainstream via a deal inked with Sony/ATV Tree Music Publishing, which has a host of country music legends in its roster. His most notable work there was his song writing contribution to The World Needs a Drink by Terri Clark. That project cemented his name in the Nashville music scene, attracting the attention of local music executives.

Eric Church Goes Mainstream

One of those execs, Arthur Buenahora, linked Church up with Jay Joyce, a producer with whom Church immediately made a connection. Before long, the two were cutting demos one after the other. The team proved effective, eventually getting Church signed with the Nashville division of Capitol Records, the same label that launched The Beatles in the US.

A mere three years after his move to Nashville, Church released his debut album Sinners Like Me in July 2006. Sinners proved to be very successful with audiences, with three singles - How 'Bout You, Two Pink Lines and Guys Like Me - quickly making it to the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. How 'Bout You also scored Church his very first music video and official entry into the mainstream music industry.

Cult status, a growing fan base and an increasing amount of recognition followed Sinners Like Me's release. After opening for shows of the likes of Brad Paisley and Bob Seger - both of whom had become Eric Church fans by that time - Church followed up with his sophomore effort, 2009's Carolina.

Of his newest album, Church explains that it's part of his attempt to let the audience hear that he's "still taking chances." The audience apparently loved the chances he took, as Love Your Love the Most - the album's lead single that was released before an album was even due out - gave Church his first Top 10 single in the United States.

Country music is often overshadowed by other more popular genres like rock and pop. Eric Church actively tries to change that by evangelizing young listeners to his favourite style of music. For this through-and-through country man, however, perhaps simply playing his tunes will suffice.